The HTC Fitness Band is Real (But it Might Not Come to the UK)

When HTC announced at CES at the start of the year that it would be partnering with Under Armor, it seemed only a matter of time before some sort of fitness/wearable offspring was born. And while it’s not quite the smartwatch many had expected, HTC has confirmed the pair have put together the HTC Fitness Band.

However, it remains very much a prototype, to the point where HTC hasn’t been keen to let press get their hands on it yet. Having seen it but not tried it, it’s best described in the same vein as a Fitbit or (perhaps most closely) the Microsoft Band. I was shown a curvy black bracelet with a large white-on-black screen -- one of several colours HTC has planned.

With Under Armor sweeping up leading fitness applications Endomondo and MyFitnessPal, it’s no surprise that the Fitness Band’s functions are predominately sports orientated. With a pedometer and GPS built in, along with Bluetooth low energy support for additional accessories such as heart rate sensors, you’ll be able to analyse and track data from your workouts.

Pairing with an iOS or Android device (iOS 7, Android 4.3 and up), the Fitness Band will also receive notifications, allowing you to respond with preset messages fired off direct from your wrist through shortcuts.

Though HTC has a US launch planned, it’s not yet got a UK release set yet -- unsurprising given the Under Armor services powering the device, and the sporting company’s minimal presence in the UK at the moment. We’ll keep you posted if that’s set to change anytime soon, but it’s unlikely you’ll see the HTC Fitness Band in UK shops before the summer at this point.

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